GIRLS HOCKEY: Weymouth sees positives despite slump

Weymouth High girls hockey coach John Pinizzotto talks about his team's imnproving play, despite a 4-0 setback at the hands of Newton North on Tuesday.

By Michael Flanagan

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By Michael Flanagan

Posted Jan. 30, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jan 30, 2013 at 8:51 PM

By Michael Flanagan

Posted Jan. 30, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jan 30, 2013 at 8:51 PM

WEYMOUTH

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“It’s that time of year,” Weymouth High girls hockey coach John Pinizzotto said after the Wildcats lost, 4-0, to Bay State Conference foe Newton North at Connell Rink.

“Everyone is kind of feeling down. Everyone has the sniffles. We’re kind of in a slump right now.”

Tuesday’s loss left Weymouth (3-11-1, 2-9-1) near the bottom of the Carey Division standings and mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

Still, Pinizzotto refused to write off the season as a lost cause.

“I think our record is worse than we are,” he said. “We’ve actually been steadily and progressively getting better during the course of the season, which is positive going toward the end of the season and looking forward to next season.”

Such is the standard attitude for the coach of any struggling team to adopt, but the makeup of Weymouth’s roster validates Pinizzotto’s optimism.

The coach expects nearly the entire team to return, with lone senior and co-captain Taylor Rheault being the only exception.

“Obviously, that’s a huge advantage going forward,” he said.

Furthermore, Pinizzotto pointed out, the Wildcats were fresh off their best hockey of the season before the winter blues dragged them into the aforementioned slump.

Additionally, the Wildcats played well in a recent 6-4 loss to Braintree (6-3-3, 6-2-3) and a 3-3 tie with Framingham earlier this month.

All are reassuring signs that the young Weymouth squad is ready to turn a corner before the end of the season.

“We have a young team,” Pinizzotto reiterated. “But I think if we can get over the hump, refocus and get back to some basics, I think we can finish the season strong and hopefully be 8-11-1, which sounds a lot better than 3-11-1.”